Tag: Progressive Rock

Echo Location: Bill Bruford Redux

http://media.blubrry.com/echoespodcast/www.xpn.org/podcasts/echoes/echoes20090325.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: RSSBill Bruford brings Plays Taps to Progressive Rock. ((((( You can hear an audio version of this blog, with music ))))) No one gives the rock drummer much attention, unless he happens to be the signature progressive rock drummer of the last 4 decades. That’s the case with…

Mellotron from Lawrence Welk to King Crimson

There’s a new movie out called Mellodrama: The Story of the Mellotron that documents the history of the Mellotron and it’s forerunner, the Chamberlain. I haven’t seen the documentary, which just opened at a film festical, but some interesting tidbits are gleaned from the trailer and an interview with the director, Dianna Dillworth. Who’d have…

Drummer Bill Bruford Retires

Bill Bruford is an icon of Progressive Rock drumming. He came to renown as an original member of Yes, recording several albums with them before moving on to King Crimson. Over the years he’s spent more and more time with his cerebral jazz band Earthworks. But now he says he’s packing in live performances, concentrating…

It’s Progressive Rock All Over Again

This weekend I’ll be guesting on Highs in the 70s: Progressive Rock on WXPN in Philadelphia .  It’s among a series of irregularly scheduled retro shows they run.  It’s going to be an 8-hour marathon, from 10AM til 6PM on Saturday, January 3. I’ll be in for the first half, Chuck Van Zyl from Star’s End…

Echo Location: Fernwood’s Americana World Chamber Music

http://media.blubrry.com/echoespodcast/www.xpn.org/podcasts/echoes/echoes20081008.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: RSSA progressive rock guitar warrior unplugs when Djam Karet’s Gayle Ellett journeys to Fernwood. (You can hear an audio version of this blog with music.) In an era of computer generated music where even the most folky, downhome pop song is electronically manipulated, a band called Fernwood wants…

NEARFEST 2005 REFLECTIONS

“There is no progress in Progressive Rock.” Those are words I heard over and over again during the recent NEARFest, The North East Art Rock Festival. Whether I spoke to bassist Patrick Djivas of the Italian rock group, PFM, Roger Triguaux, guitarist with Present or Paul Sears, drummer with The Muffins, they all had the…

November 2001 CD of the Month: Erik Wøllo

Erik Erik Wøllo’s music floats with the grace of a hawk, effortlessly riding air currents that are left painted and glistening in his wake. But what sounds effortless is actually deeply layered, intricately woven and composed with a poetic language. Sometimes Erik is acoustic, as on GUITAR NOVA, sometimes all electronic, like POLAR DRONES, but…